Storm shutters have been employed to protect windows and doors during a storm. These storm shutters includes panels which may be attached to the outer window frame by hinges, nails or screws. However, the shutter louvers have one or more apertures between the louver slats which permit air and sunlight to enter the structure, consequently protection provided by the shutter louvers is limited by the strength of the individual horizontal louver slats. Further, the louver slats having an opening between adjacent slats cannot provide sufficient protection against large magnitude storms such as hurricanes.
Currently, numerous panel systems are commercially available in the art which require considerable amount of time to install. Installation procedures includes separating the male and female member from each other, laying each track separately onto the window casing, then nailing the tracks into place, and then re-snapping the main frame back together with the secure male or female unit on the window casing. However, if the tracking system is not perfectly aligned to the dimensions of the main frame receiver, the main frame will not snap back into the tracking system correctly upon completion of the installation causing air infiltration through the main frame, and damage to the tracking system due to misalignment. Some other panel systems are heavy systems which are very costly.
The prior art, as known to the Applicant, includes various cumbersome, costly and difficult to use devices having as their object, the wind protection of windows and sliding doors of buildings. Such prior art is reflected in U.S. Application Publication US2009/0094896 (2009) to Quick, entitled Apparatus for Protection of Building Openings. This disclosure entails the use of complex mechanical parts which therefore operate to degrade the reliability and the cost-effectiveness of such systems.
A so-called storm brace assembly is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,312 (2005) to Withworth. This structure is also mechanically complex and does not lend itself to ready use or application by a home owner.
A window storm panel brace is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 6,330,768 (2001) to Rodriquez. Rodriquez, which entails the use of many critical and difficult to manufacture and assemble parts which, as such, render it impractical for use by a typical home owner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,183 (1997) to Giovinazzi, entitled Window Security Device teaches a window securement system in which the securement elements, unlike that of the prior art, and Applicant's invention, entails primary securement bars. As such, its utility is mainly that of security as opposed to wind protection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,660 (1991) to Watson teaches a storm window panel. The teaching of Watson is that of a panel only which, in concept, could be used as a protective panel in any of the storm window protection systems shown in the prior art, and Applicant's. However, the structure of Watson is complex and requires special purpose molding in order to manufacture and, as such, does not represent a practical solution for most home owners.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above, and particularly for a more cost effective and efficient way for to provide protection to doors and window during a storm.